"A number of people did leave [the fireworks show] and I've heard a number of people chose not to attend because they heard this," said Sgt. Higley.

He said the police department investigated the threat and found it was not credible. He cannot say where the rumor originated from, but said his department started receiving calls after another officer from a different department reported something "suspicious" in a local pizza shop.

Higley said that officer observed three Muslim-looking people ordering pizza, asking if there were any big events going on that weekend.

"Based on their appearance and based on the question they were asking ... he felt they were suspicious in nature," said Higley, who did not identify the officer, the department he worked for or the pizza shop where it happened.

Hours after that officer's report to Rumford Police, talk around town and on social media was about a possible threat to the fireworks show.

"It started with one story, and then everybody's Facebook blew up," said Dolloff, who was upset to hear about the incident in the pizza shop.